Sunday, May 1, 2011

Sugar Maples in Flower

I pronounce this the year of the sugar maple. We can't remember a more beautiful Spring season of flowering sugar maples. They are gorgeous this year. Drive along any road or look along the edge of any woodland in these parts and you will easily pick out the yellow glow of the sugar maples.

The yellowish-green flowers hang from long petioles, like dangling earrings. The leaves are just emerging at the base of the flower cluster.

In addition to the incredible flower show by the sugar maple, it's been a banner maple syrup year too. According to the New Hampshire Maple Producers, some sugaring houses had their best season ever. What a sweet tree.

2 comments:

Love your photos of flowering sugar maples. Found them through a Google search, not too many people post photos of flowering sugar maples. Such a shame, they are so gorgeous.

I write a blog for southwest Wisconsin landowners interested in nature, biodiversity, etc. I put in a link to your maples post and included a few of your photos. Hope that is okay. I want to encourage our readers to get out and enjoy "maple-blossom time."

Thanks for the note Brian and linking to my blog. I am forwarding your info to a friend who is involved in a landowner collaborative in Northwood, NH. He will be interested in your related efforts in southwest Wisconsin. Ellen